Hair drier



Nov. 15, 1949 c. E. NELSON 2,488,227

HAIR DRIER Filed March 22, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l I I I I Q I I 1/ a L INVENTOR CARL E. NELSON.

' ATTOR/VEK Nov. 15, 1949 c. E. NELSON 7 2,488,227

HAIR DRIER Filed March 22, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 CARL E. NE L SON.

AT TORNEK Patented Nov. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a hair drier, and more particularly to improvements in portable type hair driers and is in the nature of a continuation in part of my copending application, Ser. No. 777,330, filed October 1, 1947, now abandoned.

The objects of this invention are to provide a hair drier having a hair enclosing hood which may be worn with comfort by a user during the drying operation; to provide a hair drier having a light weight hair and scalp enclosing hood adapted to channel or distribute heated air through the hair and adjacent the scalp of the user; to provide a hair drier which may be selfoperated with minimum effort and which enables the user to enjoy normal hearing during the drying process; to provide a hair drier which is compact and sturdy of construction safe and easy to operate and which may be comparatively inexpensively manufactured and which may be operated safely by unskilled persons; and. to provide a hair drier which thoroughly dries the hair and scalp of the user in a minimum of time. A further object is to provide a novel hood fastening means to enable easy adjustment to the hair enclosing hood by the user thereof.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a hair enclosing hood designed to prevent escape of heated air therefrom in a manner or direction which would cause discomfort to the user. In conventional driers the users face and neck or other exposed skin areas are subjected to the heated drying medium which results in serious discomfort.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon referring to the specification and accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the heater and blower unit and hood and connecting conduit.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the hood in operative position with the ear of the user covered thereby.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the ear uncovered.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the hood and conduit.

. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the hood.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 'I--I of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of the hood in operative position on the head of a user and showing the fiow of heated air through the hair and adjacent the scalp of the user to the point of escape to atmosphere from said hood.

Referring now to the drawings the blower and heater element is generally indicated at 2 and comprises an air heating element and blower fan (not shown) adapted to force warm air under pressure through the conduit, generally indicated at 3, to the hood, generally indicated at 4, which said hood is operatively positioned to enclose the hair of the user. The conduit and hood may be formed of any suitable flexible material such as a suitable plastic and is preferably provided with an elastic band 5 at the open end thereof to engage elastically the throat or mouth 6 of the heater and blower unit. A tab or other suitable marker 1 is provided adjacent the band 5 to facilitate the proper positioning of the conduit and attached hood with respect to the blower unit. Further, the tab 1 serves as a ready means for disengaging the conduit from the mouth 6.

Preferably the hood is integral with the conduit and is formed of rubberized cloth or suitably flexible plastic material adapted to be folded or crushed into a compact unit suitable for convenient storage. Further, the conduit and hood must be formed of air tight material of the character adapted to bellow to the operative positions indicated in the figures and to collapse when the air pressure therein is relieved.

The hood 4 is formed to fit snugly around and.

under the hair line of the user and the bottom marginal edge thereof. indicated generally at H, is provided with an elastic band I2 such as a rubber band in order to achieve the snug fitting function mentioned. The forehead portion of the bottom edge II is formed with a hem to receive the elastic band I2 and is gathered thereon to allow for elastic adjustment. The ends of the band [2 are anchored to the edge H as at l3 and l3 The back bottom edge of the hood is formed with a hem to receive slidably a pair of draw strings I 5 and I5. The draw strings are anchored respectively to the edge I l as at I3 and [3 (Fig. 5). The free ends of the cords or strings l5 and [5 are each provided with a slidable friction grip member [6, preferably formed of rubber. The bottom edge ll of the hood is adapted to fit snugly the wearers head below the hair line and the user may adjust the fit according to individual desire by manipulation of the friction grip member l6; Thus the bottom edge encloses the drying medium in the hood and prevents escape thereof toward the face, neck or other exposed skin area of the user. Thus, it may be seen that the user may prefer to cover his or her ears (Fig. 2) or prefer not to cover his or her ears by the hood (Fig. 3) while in either instance the hair line is fully enclosed within said hood.

Above the bottom edge of the hood and approximately midway between the crown portion of the hood, indicated at H, and said bottom edge II, there is disposed a circumferentially arranged air distributing channel, indicated generally at IS, in flow communication in the rear of the hood with the conduit 3. The channel i8 is formed by a plurality of spot stitchings l9 spaced relatively far apart to connect the crown portion I! to the bottom portion 20. The hood portion lying between the channel member lg and said lower marginal edge is termed the bottom portion 20 of the hood.

Provided in the center of the crown portion of the hoodis a Vent aperture 2| which preferably is a reinforced slit about 2 to 3 inches in length and disposed parallel to the front to back axis of the hood (Fig. 4). The crown portion of the hood indicated at I! lies against the hair of the user and serves to direct warm air from the heater-blower unit laterally from the channel l8 substantially uniformly around the circumference of the head and through the hair of the user adjacent the scalp for discharge to atmosphere through central vent or aperture 2!. It is important that the crown of the hood with vent Zl be positioned to lie snugly against the hair and scalp of the user so that, as aforesaid,

the warm air drying medium is distributed through the hair, rather than merely over the hair, and adjacent the scalp to a single point of discharge to atmosphere.

The spaced stitchings i9 prevent the air'distributing channel I8 from ballooning upwardly which would prevent the proper distribution of drying medium through the hair of the user and adjacentthe. scalp. Thus, the crown portion l1 and bottom 28 of the hood are joined by means of the stitchings which serve to anchor the crown portion in position relative to the scalp of the user through the snug fit ofbottom edge ll obtained by manipulation of draw strings l5 and i5 grippers l6 and the resilient characteristics of the band I2.

It is noted that the adjustable feature of the bottom edge I l enables the hood to be employed by children as well as adults and regardless of thecoifiure, number or type of curlers, or shape of head.

formly therefrom laterally around the sides and front of the users head and said air travelsv through the users hair adjacent the scalp for discharge to atmosphere at a single point disposed at the top of the hood. Diagrammatic Figure 8 indicates the flow of air by means of arrows and illustrates the lateral flow of air from chane.

nels through the hair toward the vent. Because stitchings [9 are spaced relatively far apart the air channel is in substantially unobstructed air communication with the interior of the hood and with a users hair arranged contiguous to said channel within the hood. The utilization of a single discharge aperture materially decreases noise occasioned by air escape which would otherwise be an undesirable feature of a device of the character herein disclosed.

It is here noted that in Fig. 4 a top plan view of the device is illustrated showing the conduit 3 disposed at substantially right angles to the front to back axis of the hood 4. The reason for such an arrangement is to enable the user to sit or otherwise be positioned for convenient access to the switching or control mechanism provided on the heater-blower unit which said switching mechanism is not here shown but which may be of the character described in my copending application ser. No. 777,330.

While I have described this invention in certain specific detail by way of example and illustration for purposes of clarity of explanation, it is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and changes in use, design and structure may be practiced within'the spirit of this invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hair drier comprising a hood formed of a pliant substantially air tight material and means to convey heated air thereto from a source thereof, the bottom edge of said hood formed to fit snugly, removably, and adjustably around the head of a user below the users hair line, said hood comprising a crown portion and a bottom portion, an air distributing channel formed in said hood and projecting laterally outwardly therefrom around the sides and forehead portions of said hood to distribute heated air through the hair of the user and substantially uniformly around the users head, a central vent in the crown portion of said hood, and means including said bottom edge of said hood to hold said crown portion against the top of the users head to aid in distribution of air through the hair and close to the scalp of the user.

2, A hood formed of a pliant substantially air tight material for hair driers of; the character described comprising a crown portion and a bottom portion, means to connect said portions together at intervals spaced relatively far apart, from one another to form an air distributing channel disposed laterally of said portions and extending substantially around the hood and arranged substantially parallel to the bottom edge thereof, an air duct in flow communication with said air distributing channel adapted to conduct heated air from a source thereof to said channel, means comprising a draw string to, hold the bottom edge of the h od nugly around and against a users head to prevent escape of air downwardly therefrom, and a vent in the crown portion of said hood.

3. A device for dr i ha r o a use head comprising an air blower having a heating element to, circulate. heated air, ahood formed of pliant material having sides, a condui formed of pliant material t t conduct. said heated air from said blower and heating element. to said hood, a bend provided in-said conduit for locating said blower laterally to said hood during, operation of said device, means. comprising, an air channel provided on each side of said hood to direct said heated air uniformly to said hair within said hood during operation of the device.

4. A device for drying hair on a users head comprisin a air blow r having. a he g .element to circulate heated air, a hood formed of pliant material having sides, a conduit formed of pliant material to conduct heated air from Said blower and said heating element to said hood, and an air channel connected to said conduit formed on each side of said hood and extending substantially the length thereof, said air channel in substantially unobstructed air communication with the interior of said hood and with hair arranged within said hood contiguous to said air channel whereby heated air entering said air channel is distributed evenly and uniformly to all parts of said hair which is arranged contiguous to said air channel.

5. A device according to claim 4 wherein a bend is provided in said conduit for locating said blower laterally with respect to said hood during operation of said device.

6. A hair drier comprising a hood and means to convey heated air thereto from a source thereof, the bottom edge of said hood comprising an elastic strap encircling at least a portion of said hood and a draw string to adjustably secure said bottom edge snugly around the head and below the hair line of a user to prevent escape of heated air from said hood toward the face or neck of said user, said hood comprising bottom and crown portions and an air distributing channel disposed between said portions and projecting outwardly laterally therefrom and disposed around the hood and in flow communication therewith, said crown portion of said hood fixed to the bottom portion thereof at spaced intervals inwardly of the outer perimeter of said air distributing channel, said channel arranged to distribute heated air therefrom toward and through the users hair and toward a centrally disposed vent provided in said crown portion.

7. A hair drier comprising a hood formed of pliant substantially air tight material and means to convey heated air thereto from a source thereof, the bottom edge of said hood formed to fit snugly, removably, and adjustably around the head of a user below the users hair line, said hood comprising a crown portion and a bottom portion, an air distributing channel formed in said hood and projecting laterally outwardly therefrom around the sides and forehead portions of said hood to distribute heated air through the hair of the user and substantially uniformly around the users head, a central vent in the crown portion of said hood, and means comprising spaced connections between said crown portion and bottom portion arranged inwardly of the outer perimeter of said air distributing channel to hold said crown portion against the top of the users head to aid in distribution of air through the hair and close to the scalp of the user.

8. A hair drier comprising a hood formed of pliant substantially air tight material and means to convey heated air thereto from a source thereof, the bottom edge of said hood formed to fit snugly, removably, and adjustably around the head of a user below the users hair line, said hood comprising a crown portion and a bottom portion, a plurality of spaced connections provided in said hood to connect said crown portion to said bottom portion, said connections disposed at spaced intervals around the hood to form an air distributing channel projecting laterally outwardly from said hood around the sides and forehead portions thereof to distribute heated air through the hair of a user and substantially uniformly around the users head, a central vent in the crown portion of said hood, said spaced connections arranged and constructed to hold said crown portion against the top of the users head to aid in distribution of air through the hair and close to the scalp of the user.

CARL E NELSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,074,270 Perkins Mar. 16, 1937 2,266,653 Miller Dec. 16, 1941 

